Stony Point's 'Finicky Foodie' Finds Faithful Following On Instagram

Alyssa DiPalma, right, with her fiance, Patrick Bitts, has amassed nearly 11,000 followers on her Instagram account, Finicky Foodie.Photo Credit: Screen grab from Finicky Foodie on InstagramPizza is among the favorite pictures that Alyssa DiPalma of Stony Point likes to post on her Instagram account, Finicky Foodie.Photo Credit: Screen grab from Finicky Foodie on InstagramFinicky Foodie is an Instagram account managed by Alyssa DiPalma of Stony Point.Photo Credit: Screen grab from Finicky Foodie on InstagramAlyssa DiPalma snapped this picture of a cupcake and posted it to her Instagram account, Finicky Foodie. She has nearly 11,000 followers.Photo Credit: Screen grab from Finicky Foodie on Instagram

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STONY POINT, N.Y. -- Even the finickiest of eaters enjoys food. Alyssa DiPalma of Stony Point is a perfect example.

DiPalma started posting pictures about two years ago under the handle “finickyfoodie” on Instagram. She has amassed 10,800 followers, mostly from around the region. She posts pictures of anything food related -- in one 14-hour span last week shoe posted pictures of a coffee cup, a dish from Chipotle and a scrumptious and novel cupcake. They attracted more than 1,100 likes and almost 75 comments.

“I never expected this to take off like it has,’’ said DiPalma, who works for a Nyack public relations firm. “Now I can see where the followers are from, and most of them are from New York, New Jersey and Westchester County. I was talking with a coworker one day and she said somebody recognized me. ‘That girl in your office, she’s the Finicky Foodie person.’ I couldn’t believe it.”

DiPalma had no expectations when she started Finicky Foodie. “It was just for fun,’’ she said. “I had been posting a lot of food on my personal Instagram. I’m somewhat of a picky eater, at least according to others. In the last year I’ve become much more active with it, trying new places and growing the account.”

DiPalma and her fiance, Patrick Bitts, frequently visit restaurants on Friday and Saturday nights. “It’s not always something crazy,’’ she said. “Pizza is my favorite thing. We like to take little adventures to Westchester or Bergen County, something we haven’t tried before. We’re always looking for something new.”

DiPalma jokes that Bitts sometimes orders the same meal, simply so she won’t take a picture of it. When the food arrives, she whips out her phone, snaps a picture and posts it. Bitts sometimes assists with lighting from the flashlight on his phone.

“I think the message is just encouraging people to try new places, show what’s available and what the different options are,’’ DiPalma said. “It’s a resource for local people.”

DiPalma seems to be an unlikely contributor to dialogue about food. She “hates” ketchup -- “I don’t even like to look at it,’’ she said -- and doesn’t touch hamburgers, steak or seafood. Yet she’ll eat cold cuts, olives, cheeses and most vegetables.

DiPalma has received appreciative comments from the restaurants where she takes her pictures. “If I don’t have anything nice to say, I don’t say anything,’’ DiPalma said.

DiPalma said Bitts has been helpful in the creative process. It is all quite astonishing to see how a social following has developed for a young woman who has some unusual food idiosyncrasies.

“I’m having a lot of fun with it,’’ DiPalma said. “I don’t know where it’s going to go. I just know I’m really enjoying it.”